


The Warmth of Her Embrace

by bekindplsrewind



Series: SPN Rare Ship Bingo 2020 [5]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Coda, F/F, Missing Scene, Post-Episode: s15e12 Galaxy Brain, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:46:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24372253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bekindplsrewind/pseuds/bekindplsrewind
Summary: Claire and Kaia are reunited at last. Missing scene/coda post 15x12.
Relationships: Jody Mills & Claire Novak, Kaia Nieves/Claire Novak
Series: SPN Rare Ship Bingo 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1740718
Comments: 7
Kudos: 34





	The Warmth of Her Embrace

**Author's Note:**

> written for the [spnrareshipbingo](https://spnrareshipbingo.tumblr.com/) on tumblr, for the square, 'claire/kaia'. i think the idea of them reuniting was a lot better in my head. i don't think i did them justice here :/. ah, my apologies, but i tried.
> 
> the title is written in iambic trimeter [one syllable stressed, followed by unstressed syllable times three] to mimic the rhythm of a heartbeat. [it actually took me a while to come up with the title. i came up with it before i'd written the story, which is surprising, bc i usually come up with it partway, or after it's complete.]
> 
> thank you, [thewaywardgryffindor](https://thewaywardgryffindor.tumblr.com/) for the beta! <3

Claire had spent five days in Yosemite, pursuing a hot lead on a woman in a dark cloak, only to end up with a ghost trail of breadcrumbs and a lousy postcard. When she was close enough to get reception, she’d learnt she’d received a voicemail from Jody.

_ “Claire, there’s someone here waiting for you when you get back.” _

Cryptic and a little unsettling. She honestly didn’t want to have someone unexpectedly dropping by on her, especially when she wasn’t having the best week.

Jody’s patrol car was the only vehicle parked in the driveway as she pulled up. This left Dean and Sam out of the question. Maybe it was Cas. She hadn’t heard from him in a while.

She dug her keys into the door and pushed through to the smell of pot roast hitting her in the face. It was a familial thing, like she had just come home from a long day at work for dinner. In a sense, she was. She scanned the area, the living room and kitchen void of any traces of a middle aged trench coat wearing man.

“Hey. Smells good.”

Jody turned from the stove, a wooden spoon in her hand. “Claire! You’re home!” She set it down and went to hug her, pulling her in tight.

“Yep, that’s what I do.” Claire drew back. “You bring in another stray?”

“Yeah, about that. You might wanna sit down for this.”

“Sorry, no can do. Thought I’d come by to restock on supplies, do some laundry. I need to get back on the road ASAP.”

“What? But you just got home!”

“The lead was a false alarm, Jody. I’m not gonna let it slip by me when I was so close.” Claire set her jaw and her eyes grew hard.

“I know it was. But it’s okay now—”

“I’ll stay for dinner, but I’m not up for making friends tonight. Let her stay in my room. I’m cool with that.”

“Claire! Would you hold your horses?” Jody sighed.

Old embers were stoked within her and her temper flared. Claire didn’t mean to be hardheaded or obstinate, especially when their relationship had finally come to one of understanding and trust, but Jody knew that this was her lifelong mission now, and nothing was going to get in her way. 

“No!” Claire’s voice rose in volume, almost cracking. “I can’t! Not for you; not for anyone—” She heard something fall to the floor and she turned to look. Her breathing grew more laboured as she stared at the woman with the dark curls that hung loosely down her shoulders, longer than she’d remembered them to be. She couldn’t bring herself to speak; her heart was in her throat.

“Claire…?” Kaia’s voice was soft and hesitant, her eyes wide with disbelief. A basket of laundry lay dumped by her feet as she stood by the open hallway.

Slowly, Claire moved from Jody, mesmerised. She’d dreamt of Kaia everyday for months since her death. It was only in her sleep that she could see her smile again, hear the sweet melody of her voice call her name. At least she thought it was.

Claire felt like she was trudging through mud, but suddenly, her feet were moving on their own accord, catching up to where her heart intended them to be. It wasn’t just the stretch of the living room that separated them, it was miles, long, hard roads, motel rooms, dark alleys, and dank basements; weeks, months, and years, as well as the precious minutes and seconds they shared right at that moment.

Claire crashed into the warmth of her embrace, her arms wrapping tight around Kaia’s lean frame, pressing her shivering body firm to hers, but never close enough. She buried her face into her shoulder, Kaia’s hair tickling her nose and smelling sweet like pina colada shampoo, just like her own. Biting back a sob from her trembling lips, Claire squeezed her eyes shut as hot tears betrayed her and slipped past. She drew in a shaky breath, breaking the promise she’d made all those months ago that she wouldn’t cry anymore, that she’d harden her defenses. With just one word—her name—barely whispered, had her walls come crumbling down.

Kaia gently coaxed them apart, enough so that they could rest their foreheads against each other. Tears were streaming down her face, too.

“Claire…” Kaia repeated with just as much reverence as before.

“Is it you? Is it really you, Kaia?” Claire finally said, her voice broken.

“It’s me.” Kaia nodded, smiling through her tears.

“I… I never thought I’d see you again.”

Kaia stroked Claire’s face lovingly, sharing her look of disbelief. “Me, too. But I’m here.”

They both giggled before Claire pulled Kaia into another hug. They held each other silently, content with just being; to know that they were both existing and finally in each other’s arms was something to celebrate and to be cherished properly.

They heard a hiccup of a sob and disentangled their arms from each other, finding that Jody was still standing where Claire had abandoned her and was watching them with a tear stained face.

“I’m sorry, girls! I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Jody managed between sobs.

Claire and Kaia faced each other and shared a knowing smile. They both turned to Jody and hugged her, the matriarch of the household happily welcoming it with a tearful laugh.

“Not planning on leaving now, are you?” Jody said over their heads.

“Hell no.” Claire didn’t need to, now that she was home.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!
> 
> i think this is my first general rating for this fandom, and my first wlw fic. it was a long time coming, and it's about time :/. if you're wondering why they didn't reunite with a kiss, it's because i think that after so long without seeing each other, their initial reaction is just to hold each other. i don't doubt that they will, but i think it'd be something they'd do in private after they've had a long conversation and catching up in their room. i was planning on including that, but this fic seemed to finish nicely at this part. if i'm wrong, i might reconsider rewriting this XD.
> 
> you can also come and yell at me on my tumblr! [seagullmichael](https://seagullmichael.tumblr.com/)


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